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 Are
You Suffering from
Donor Fatigue?
According to recent news
reports, many Americans are so overwhelmed by the seemingly relentless
onslaught of devastating events (tsunami, hurricanes, earthquakes,
wildfires, nor’easter, global poverty, war, flu pandemic) that they
are starting to tune out the many requests for financial aid that
bombard them on the air, in the mail, and on the Internet.
Not so the Christian
who is making a difference in so many lives by stepping forward to
bridge the gap that government and social agencies cannot. Not so the
Christian who knows that the Bread of Life and the Living Water will
never run out. Not so the Christian who knows that by
the very act of giving, the gift increases.
The widow who
trusted Elijah and used the last little bit of flour and oil she had to
make a cake of bread for the prophet found that her jar of flour and jug
of oil lasted for the remainder of the drought (1 Kings 17:7-16). The
boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish saw his offering
multiplied to feed 5,000  men
(plus women and children), not to mention twelve baskets of leftovers
(John 6:1-14).
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 If
you are worn down by donor fatigue, if you’re ready to throw your
hands up because it seems there’s no way your dollar can make a
difference against such immense and continuing disasters—then you need
to remember to leave room for God to
work, the One “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”
(Eph. 3:20). He asks us to give generously, to give sacrificially, to
give willingly, to give cheerfully, to give when we feel good, to give
when we hurt, to give because giving opens our eyes to what God has
given us—the precious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
As we approach the
Christmas season, the Christian should remember that Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, made Himself tiny and helpless, totally dependent on others
for His every physical need. Before you tune out another appeal for
funds, ask God if He is waiting for you to take the first step, trusting
Him to magnify your gift.
“And God is able
to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corin.
9:8).
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